This invention relates generally to a container carrier, and more specifically pertains to a carrier providing multiple rows of article holding cells for use in augmenting the quantity of articles capable of conveyance during usage.
Numerous paperboard styles of article carriers are available in the prior art, many of them being designed for furnishing generally a carrier blank that may be formed from a unitized sheet of board, folded into its carrier configuration, either piror to or during the insertion of articles within its confinement. For example, various side loading article carriers are available, and after a specified number of the articles, such as bottled or canned beverages, are located upon one such carton blank, it is then wrapped around the emplaced containers for enclosing them within the carrier or pack for shipment. The advantage of such carriers is that the fabrication of a carrier from its blank into the useable form can be performed synonymously with the loading of the beverages, or the like, therein. But, such carriers, by necessity, have been limited to the arrangement of a singular row of the article to either side of the carton, in order that any formed separation between the articles can be made so as to protect them from damage or breakage during transit.
Other styles of article carriers of similar structure to that previously defined have become available in the art, and generally are fabricated in the manner that requires substantial width of the board from which the carrier blank is cut. Such can be seen in the U.S. Pat. to Wood, No. 4,029,205. In addition, a style of carrier carton that may provide for bulk confinement of a plurality of articles is shown in the U.S. Pat. to Gordon, No. 4,029,207, and which is concerned primarily with providing for rather hidden confinement of the articles contained therein, but yet furnishing clearance for finger gripping of the carton during usage.
Another style of article carrier that furnishes only a single row of article confinement within the formed carrier is shown in the U.S. Pat. to Stout, No. 4,000,813, wherein at least four cells are arranged in single rows to either side of its medial partition structure. A related type carrier, but one which incorporates an advertising tab, is shown in the United States patent to the same inventor, U.S. Pat. No. 4,000,814.
Other styles of article carriers incorporating internal partitions for segregating the confined articles into separable cells is shown in the U.S. Pat. to Calvert, No. 4,007,830, but it would appear that the partition inserts of the shown carrier are constructed independently of the folded carton, and then slid into its open ends after locating containers therein for packaging. The supplemental steps involved in providing for more than two rows of articles can be readily comprehended upon reviewing this particular style of formed carrier.
Another variation upon an article carrier, but generally of the six pack category, is shown in the U.S. Pat. to Wood, et al, No. 4,010,847. Another style of package for orienting a plurality of articles is shown in the U.S. Pat. to Gorski, No. 4,050,579, but this particular package displays a rather rigid form of base wall incorporating a series of cylindrical confining casing members for holding containers in place, generally upon a package that rather substantially exposes the held articles for ease of viewing. Another recent bottle and glass style of carrier is shown in the U.S. Pat. to Cope, No. 4,049,116, and this also would appear to be of the wrap around style of carrier for holding a pair of rows of bottles within its interior.
The U.S. Pat. to Stout, No. 4,047,610, and also upon an article carrier, discloses what would appear to be a formed carrier that incorporates web reinforcing means for reinforcing the end wall panels of the shown carrier.
Other variations upon more recently designed multi packaging devices are shown in the two U.s. Pats. to Klygis, No. 4,018,331, and the U.S. Pat. to Werth, No. 4,024,950, with both of these designs providing a form of polymer band for tightly binding against some portion of the cylindrical formed containers, such as beverage cans, and providing the only means for holding a pack of the containers together. This type of packaging means is effective for confining beverages that are packaged within cans, but would not appear to have sufficient safety for use in the packaging of glass articles.
The foregoing discussion of the prior art reviews the various style of article carriers or suspensions that are of more recent patantable vintage, but, it would further appear that their structures generally do not comprehend the type of features that are desired for the multi-celled container carrier of this invention. It is, therefore, the principal object of this invention to provide a container carrier that may hold a plurality of frangible articles, such as glass bottles, completely separated by carton insulation from each other, but yet being formed incorporating a plurality of rows of the cellular compartments for holding a greater number of such articles than heretofore provided in the prior art.
Another object of this invention is the provision of a multi-celled container carrier incorporating at least a pair of rows of article holding cells to either side of its central panel, but yet with the carrier being formed entirely from a single length of the board forming the carrier blank.
Another object of this invention is the provision of a container carrier that is fully reinforced by means of supplemental hand gripping panels and strategically located gussets so as to enhance the strength of the container at those positions where carton fatigue is more likely to occur.
Yet another object of this invention is the provide a integral carton blank incorporating a multi-foldable divider means that is useful for segregating each lateral compartment of the carrier into at least a pair of rows of fully insulated and separable cells for individual confinement of frangible articles at either side of the formed carton.
Still another object of this invention is the provision of means for furnishing temporary retention in position of various carton components during its erection from a unitary blank of paperboard.
These and other objects will become more apparent to those skilled in the art upon reviewing the summary of this invention and upon undertaking a study of its preferred embodiment in view of the drawings.